Convertible furniture

ABSTRACT

A piece of furniture convertible from a couch to a chair is formed of a base having at one end an upwardly sloping portion and a back piece hinged at the upper end of the upwardly sloping portion and movable between a position in which it engages the upwardly sloping portion and is upright to form a backrest and a position in which it extends downwardly and rests on the floor. Two cushion members are provided, the first being hinged at the other end of the base portion and the second to the other side of the first cushion. These can be folded on each other and then onto the base portion to form a chair or seat, with the outer cushion resting against the upright back member.

United States Patent 1191 Assmann I 1 Aug. 14, 1973 CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE [75] Inventor: Allo Assmann, Enger, Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 201,285

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 2,247,546 7/1941 Donoho 5/42 X 3,469,882 9/1969 Larsen 5/344 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 595,857 10/1925 France 5/42 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Jennings Bailey, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A piece of furniture convertible from a couch to a chair is formed of a base having at one end an upwardly sloping portion and a back piece hinged at the upper end of the upwardly sloping portion and movable between a position in which it engages the upwardly sloping portion and is upright to form a backrest and a position in which it extends downwardly and rests on the floor. Two cushion members are provided, the first being hinged at the other end of the base portion and the second to the other side of the first cushion. These can be folded on each other and then onto the base portion to form a chair or seat, with the outer cushion resting against the upright back member.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures sum 1 0F 2 1 CONVERTIBLE FURNITIJRE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a piece of furniture convertible from an easy chair to a couch using a plurality of parts.

2. The Prior Art Convertible furniture which can be used selectively as an easy chair or as a couch is known. It usually includes a chair with for example two support elements arranged in the under-construction of the chair and capable of being pulled out. For conversion to a couch,

the support elements are drawn out and the seat cushion which is arranged loosely on the cushioned underconstruction of the chair as well as the back cushion which is arranged loosely on the back are arranged on the drawn out supporting elements. The underconstruction described is relatively expensive.

The loose arrangement of the seat cushion may easily lead, in the use of the convertible furniture as an easy chair, to displacement of the seat cushion.

In another construction there is provided under the seat cushion a withdrawable, cushioned sled, which during the drawing out the seat cushion swings down to the level of the sled bushion. The backrest in this case is hinged backwards. Also this construction requires a large mechanical expenditure. Of the constructions mentioned, there are a whole range of variants, but in all of them the disadvantages of the constructions given by way of example exist.

Again multiple part convertible furniture is provided with individual parts of which are not connected together. These individual parts can after conversion to a chair or a couch if desired be connected together. This convertible furniture has further the disadvantage that the position of the individual pieces with respect to each other, in this case also during use of the fumiture as'a couch, is not fixed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention isto provide convertible furniture which'does not have the described disadvantages of the previously known constructions of this yp i The purpose is, in convertible furniture of the previously outlined type, achieved by providing a'cushioned ground body or base which is low to the ground, a backrest hinged at the back edge of the base for swinging downward, a cushioned seat part hinged at the front edge of the base for forward swinging movement, and a cushioned back hinged on the side of the seat part re mote from the base, and tiltable forwardly.

The new construction is especially simple and requires practically no fittings. Through the connection of the individual parts with one another it is assured that the individual parts, whether the furniture is used as a chair or as a couch, are not displaced with respect to each other.

The base, the seat part and the back are of essentially the same height, so that during use of the furniture as a couch a flat couch surface is automatically achieved.

In a further development of the invention the backrest is also constructed as a cushion, whereby in using the furniture as a couch an increase of the couch surface results.

The backrest should have such a height that in the backwardly pivoted position it rests against the floor.

In a further example the individual parts of the fumiture are connected with one another on the hinge line. The connection is made through so-called cloth hinges. With a releasable connection, for example a connection by means of zippers, the advantage is gained that the individual elements can be packed and shipped separately.

An adequate stability of this piece of furniture when it is used as a seat is obtained if the back part of the base has a backwardly increasing slope and the backrest a corresponding slope.

A smooth transition between the seat part and the back is achieved if the narrow sides of the seat part facing each other and the back beginning from the hinge slope away from each other by equal amounts.

The individual elements can be any known type of cushion bodies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in side elevation furniture according to the invention in the form of a chair;

- FIGS. 2 and 3 show intermediate stages in the conversion to a couch; and

FIG. 4 shows the furniture as a couch.

The convertible furniture 11, 11 consists of a base 111, a backrest 112, a seat part 113 and a back 114, all of which are cushioned. The elements 111 and 112, 111 and 113, as well as 113 and 114 are connected together by cloth hinges 16, 16' and 16' The base 1 1 l, which is provided with sliding supports 117, the cushion 113, and the back 114 are of corresponding height h.

The back part 111' of base 1 1 1 has a backwardly increasing slope and the backrest 112 a corresponding slant 113. The height h of the backrest 112 is so chosen that in the backwardly hinged position (FIG. 4) it rests against the floor.

The facing narrow sides 113' and 1 14 of the seat 1 l3 and the back 1 14 taper away from the hinged edge 16" at equal angles, so that during use of the furniture 11, 1 1' as a seat 1 1 there is a corresponding transition from the seat part .113 to the back 114.

The increasing slant 1 1 1' of the base 11 l and the corresponding slant 112 of the back 112 together in connection with the back 114 with its wedge shaped part which fits between the seat part 113 and the backrest 1 12 during use as a chair gives adequate stability to the seat. The transformation of the seat 11 into the couch 11' is indicated by FIGS. 1 to 4, and of the couch 11' to the seat 11 by FIGS. 4 to 1.

It will be noted that, when the backrest 112 is folded downwardly, its surface 112' is flush with the surface 111' of the back part of the base, and thus forms a continuation and increases the sloping surface.

The angle a between the facing narrow edges of the cushions 113 and 114 is complementary to the angle B between the surface of the backrest and the lower part of the upper surface of the base 111, so that, as shown in FIG. 1, the part 1 14 fits the backrest when the device is used as a chair or a seat.

The principle can apply either to a chair and a couch or to a sofa and a double bed construction.

I claim:

1. Convertible furniture useable as a chair or a couch comprising a substantially level base, a backrest hinged at one end of the base for folding backwardly with respect thereto, a seat cushion hinged to the other end of the base and movable between a position resting on the base and a position in which one of its surfaces forms a continuation of the upper surface of the base, and a back cushion hinged on said first cushion at the opposite edge thereof from the hinge between the first cushion and the base and foldable with respect to the first cushion to rest against the backrest or to form an extension of the base surface.

2. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the two cushions have a thickness substantially equal to the height of the main portion of the surface of the base above the floor.

3. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the backrest is of such height as to rest on the floor in its backwardly folded position.

4. Furniture as claimed in claimed 1, in which the portion of the upper surface of the base adjacent the end of which the backrest is hinged slopes upwardly.

5. Furniture as claimed in claim 4, in which the backrest in its downwardly folded position has an upper surface forming a continuation of the adjacent part of the upper surface of the base.

6. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the facing narrower sides of the two cushions slope outwardly from each other from the hinge point.

7. Furniture as claimed in claim 6, in which the angle between such facing surfaces of the cushions is complementary to the angle between the surface of the base and the adjacent surface of the backrest when the backrest is in operative position. 

1. Convertible furniture useable as a chair or a couch comprising a substantially level base, a backrest hinged at one end of the base for folding backwardly with respect thereto, a seat cushion hinged to the other end of the base and movable between a position resting on the base and a position in which one of its surfaces forms a continuation of the upPer surface of the base, and a back cushion hinged on said first cushion at the opposite edge thereof from the hinge between the first cushion and the base and foldable with respect to the first cushion to rest against the backrest or to form an extension of the base surface.
 2. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the two cushions have a thickness substantially equal to the height of the main portion of the surface of the base above the floor.
 3. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the backrest is of such height as to rest on the floor in its backwardly folded position.
 4. Furniture as claimed in claimed 1, in which the portion of the upper surface of the base adjacent the end of which the backrest is hinged slopes upwardly.
 5. Furniture as claimed in claim 4, in which the backrest in its downwardly folded position has an upper surface forming a continuation of the adjacent part of the upper surface of the base.
 6. Furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which the facing narrower sides of the two cushions slope outwardly from each other from the hinge point.
 7. Furniture as claimed in claim 6, in which the angle between such facing surfaces of the cushions is complementary to the angle between the surface of the base and the adjacent surface of the backrest when the backrest is in operative position. 